Tips for wife with husband who thinks he is anti-Disney!

[Jennia]

Oh no, I think our husbands might know each other!! We're going to Disneyland next October and then WDW in March and he WAS convinced it's going to be awful for him.
I've been having him watch the free travel planning DVDs, showing him photos from when I've gone, showing him some of the photos online of different rides that I'm sure he'd like and the neat resorts, and putting a HUGE emphasis on how magical and special this will be for our DD. I think if you show him how psyched your two kids are, that should help him. It should be enough for him to see how thrilled your kids are and to focus on that.

 

[DISNEYFOS]

I haven't read all the responses but I think sometimes guys focus on WDW as the magic kingdom and don't look at all the other things there are to offer.

We travel there a lot because we bought into the DVC. DH has some definite favorite activities. He's a Beer Afficiando .. so Germany's Biergarten is a must. Or Big River Grille which is a microbrewery in the Boardwalk area. He likes aquariums so the Living Seas was a hit with reservations at the Coral Reef. He also loves playing in the resort pools with the kids..so we make sure we have time for that. He hates lines so we go early in the AM and leave the parks if things get to crowded.

Also when you travel is key. My DH hates the opressive heat and refuses to go in the summer months. We've had to go for a wedding in July and it was tough to get him there.

He loves to see the kids so excited..so thats a huge draw for him... I just try to make sure we do something for everyone to enjoy. Its not fun for anyone if they feel like they have no say in their vacation... and its just like the kids..if you know something is going to set someone off..steer clear. I think we know each other well enough that we try to look out for each other that way.

 

[lucigo]

Have you considered letting him stay home? I have one of those husband that you really have to give some "me" time, and he really likes the freedom to chose when he wants to come and go. We have actually taken separate cars to Orlando (450 miles) so that he can come later and/or leave earlier than we do. Other times he has stayed at the resort while we have gone to the parks. It makes it hard for me to make ADRs but the tradeoff is when he is with us he is happy, and when he needs time to himself I respect that. Some people are more sensory overloaded by the parks than others

 

[cole6179]

Wait until closer to the trip.


I've been planning our September trip since January. Dh has done nothing but whinned and complained. It's too expensive. I hate crowds...blah..blah...blah. He has laughed at me reading the books and boards. And teased me about my Disney projects. Last week he came to me and said, "I'm a little bit excited." He's been trying to work more in order to get all our spending money together. I think he will pull all the way through when we get the kids there and see the magic.

 

[DisneyBrat]

Some advice from a male perspective.

1. Dont make him skip things. Make sure HE is not interested in an attraction before you decide that your family will skip it. Especially if its his first time. I have seen things I dont need to see again, but I wanted to see them the first time.

2. Dont insist on an out of park break. Get HIS input if this is a part of your plan. I personally would NOT want to waste time leaving the park, missing touring time, and coming back later. I like to take the rest breaks IN the park. I know many families take out of park breaks. At least let him be in on the decision.

3. If cost is an issue, foregoing park hoppers is one way to reduce the cost. My personal opinion is that they are a waste of time and money. Being able to show your DH that you saved $50 + tax on that may soften the expense issue some.

4. If he is willing, show him that many (not most but many) of the posts here are from men. Many people of both genders do not get Disney magic until they have experienced it personally.

I wish your entire family a magical vacation.

My hubby HATES the Mouse hands down! We end up dragging him kicking and screaming each and everytime with us. He does mellow out when we get there but still makes little gestures and phrases of how he hates the mouse. I have to disagree with the above poster. my hubby loved and looked forward to our afternoon nap/swim time. We still talk about how to plan those when we go. Some men are all about the dollar and no matter how we try and explain the values of Disney they will never get it. To them,just like my hubby, all they see is $$$$$$$ To us women we see it as priceless moments and time spent with our families and Mickey.

I will suggest that you maybe try and do some romantic things with your hubby. We ate dinner at Poly then went onto the beach,grabbed a hammock then watched the fireworks. Your little ones can play in the sand.
We would also hold hands and walk around exploring the hotels and downtown disney.

There are some tips and ideas about things to do if you research them. Good Luck! 3 trips and counting with hubby to Disney and he's still not addicted so hopefully you'll have better luck than me

 

[disdmyfam4]

Awesome advice and suggestions! I will have to let you all know how it all goes. I am hoping and praying we all have a good time. When doing something that is not his choice he tends to shut down, and act as though he is being dragged along which in turn makes me grumpy which trickles down to the kids etc. etc. I can't force him to like it but I am trying my best to plan things he will really enjoy like many good restaurants that are part of the DDP, plenty of pool time for him and the rest of us to relax. I like the Biergarten idea as he would also love that or anything to do with beer, lol. He also loves sports so I will see what I can do for that. I did offer or suggest that he stay home but with the money that was spent he felt that he wanted to be a part of it. I want him to come and I want it to be enjoyable for all. I have backed off on trying to get him excited about it. He made a good point that the pressure I am putting on him to be happy about it is making the whole trip even less desirable. I will just cross my fingers and hope that we have a wonderful time. If not I will try to be ok with leaving him behind and just having a good time with my DD and DS. Wish me luck!

 

[trivial]

He also loves sports so I will see what I can do for that.

At the BoardWalk resort, which is within walking distance from Epcot (there's also a boat), there's the ESPN Club. From AllEarsNet:

ESPN Club features 100 screens -- there are even TVs in the bathrooms! -- with all of the latest sporting events. There are regularly scheduled Trivia Nights and Sports Talk Live! shows, with live ESPN sports hosts bringing celebrity interviews, game analysis and sports trivia contests. They also feature NFL Playoff games, up to the Super Bowl. On the menu, you'll find the usual suspects: sandwiches, burgers and fries, plus, a variety of salads.

 

[Harvest02]

Awesome advice and suggestions! I will have to let you all know how it all goes. I am hoping and praying we all have a good time. When doing something that is not his choice he tends to shut down, and act as though he is being dragged along which in turn makes me grumpy which trickles down to the kids etc. etc. I can't force him to like it but I am trying my best to plan things he will really enjoy like many good restaurants that are part of the DDP, plenty of pool time for him and the rest of us to relax. I like the Biergarten idea as he would also love that or anything to do with beer, lol. He also loves sports so I will see what I can do for that. I did offer or suggest that he stay home but with the money that was spent he felt that he wanted to be a part of it. I want him to come and I want it to be enjoyable for all. I have backed off on trying to get him excited about it. He made a good point that the pressure I am putting on him to be happy about it is making the whole trip even less desirable. I will just cross my fingers and hope that we have a wonderful time. If not I will try to be ok with leaving him behind and just having a good time with my DD and DS. Wish me luck!

Your DH must be related to mine! Mine HATES Disney, mostly because of the cost. He says it is a big SCAM to get people to spend lots of money! Guess he doesn't see the magic that me and my kids see! Anyway, I am still trying to figure out how to get my DH to like the mouse too, so keep the suggestions coming. We went last October, and we stayed at POR, and even though he won't admit it, I think he loved the resort. I think in future trips, I will let him stay home(I suggested that last trip but he insisted on coming along). Also, he stayed at the resort some of the time while I took the kids to the parks. The busses were great, so it was never a problem to go off on our own to anywhere. So, maybe let him hang out at the resort while you take the kiddos! It is less stress for everyone, IMHO! Good luck!

 

[eliza61]

Awesome advice and suggestions! I will have to let you all know how it all goes. I am hoping and praying we all have a good time. When doing something that is not his choice he tends to shut down, and act as though he is being dragged along which in turn makes me grumpy which trickles down to the kids etc. etc. I can't force him to like it but I am trying my best to plan things he will really enjoy like many good restaurants that are part of the DDP, plenty of pool time for him and the rest of us to relax. I like the Biergarten idea as he would also love that or anything to do with beer, lol. He also loves sports so I will see what I can do for that. I did offer or suggest that he stay home but with the money that was spent he felt that he wanted to be a part of it. I want him to come and I want it to be enjoyable for all. I have backed off on trying to get him excited about it. He made a good point that the pressure I am putting on him to be happy about it is making the whole trip even less desirable. I will just cross my fingers and hope that we have a wonderful time. If not I will try to be ok with leaving him behind and just having a good time with my DD and DS. Wish me luck!

You will be, after 25 years of marriage I figured out that it wasn't my Dh it was me. As a mom & wife we tend to want every thing picture perfect especially trips to wdw. I think secretly some gene in our Dna makes us really want our vacations to be like those stupid commercials rolleyes: ).

The first year we left Dh lounging by the WL pool bar and me and the kids went to MK, it was like a went off in my head and angels starting singing "Aaaaaah". There was no stress, when we met back up every one was happy, kids were babbling about what they did, I was happy because there was no stress or worry that he wasn't having a great time, he was happy because there was no pressure on him to "have a magical" time.

I actually felt bad, like why was I spending so much time & energy "forcing" him to like Disney?

Let me ask you some thing. If he spent the day at ESPN or cooling out by the pool, would the world end? You & the kids could have a great time together and every body wins.

You'll be fine!!

 

[jagruti6]

I say let Disney do the convincing.
On our first trip I wanted my DH to be as excited as me, but he just didn't get it.
At some during my planning I decided to back off trying to get him excited. I made sure to include things that would appeal to him. I planned are first night to be very relaxing, no rides we just had dinner and watch spectromagic. By the end of the evening he was a Disney convert. Also we started our first full day at Animal Kingdom, I knew this park would appeal to him as he is a animal lover.
Now he loves our family trips to Disney.Though I still do all the planning, he'll chime in his must do's.
If your DH really doesn't like it when you get there, he can also just chill at the resort pool.

 

[OnceAgain]

I have the opposite issue, it's my DW that isn't so into the Disney Magic.. We've never been before as a family but we've now got a trip planned next May. She doesn't HATE it but she isn't excited and makes it known that she'd rather go relax on a beach somewhere or go hiking through a jungle or something that's "real" with no crowds, tourists etc.. But I know we're going to have such a great time, I can't wait to see the kids' faces, I'm not even trying to make DW get as excited as I am about it - that would probably just annoy her. I'm trying to do some planning "behind the scenes" so we make sure to make it special for her but not annoy her with my obsession.

 

[jen2207]

Hi neighbor! -

Did you look into having the kids to a pirate scavenger hunt/ cruise? That would give you and him 2 hours kids free...... need I say more??

Or you could "surprise" him with a tee time made for golf. You could handle the kids by yourself at a park for a few hours - they are great kids. Now MY DH isn't getting a tee time - his parents are coming with us - - - - - I'm not gonna be left alone with them!! <just kidding!>

I'll have my dh give your dh the "talk" when we get back - provided we have a very magical experience of our own!